Boda boda riders sue gov't over campaign slogan, say it has caused them psychological trauma

In court papers seen by Citizen Digital, the boda boda riders argue that during the period leading the 2022 General Election Kenya Kwanza ran a campaign that was majorly centered around the empowerment and uplifting of the lives of the persons engaged in boda boda and Mama Mboga business. 

The riders state that the Kenya Kwanza government has since “peddled a narrative that strictures of the current political government is comprised of the bodaboda and Mama Mboga wo/men, while in fact the same is utterly false and untrue.”

"THAT as a result of the impugned utterances by the Members of the 1st Respondent political science party, the people engaged in boda boss business to earn a living suffer massive financial losses, in the future irreparable harm to their goodwill and business signatures,” reads the court papers. 

The petition filed by Malindi boda boda operators,Linda Jamii and others also states that the Kenya Kwanza slogan has deprived the boda boda and Mama Mboga business people of their income owing to the hostility from Kenyans’ dissatisfaction with the current government. 

“Additionally, the utterances of the Members of the 1st Respondent political party that the current executive arm of the government of Kenyaiscomprised of the boda boda and Mama mboga wo/men subject thepersons engaged in boda boda and Mama Mbogabusiness topsychological trauma owing to the reduction in their sourceof incomeand hostility of the people of Kenya who are clearly dissatisfied with the government’s inability to bring down the cost of living,” the petition further reads. 

They now want the government stopped from making utterances on Mama Mbona and Bodaboda claiming that it has an effect of threatening to violate the Petitioners’ rights and fundamental freedoms as illustrated

The petitioners say there is a depreciation of the earnings of the persons in the boda boda sector of about 32% due to the use of the term by Kenya Kwanza which translates to about Ksh.426 billion.